Washington – President biden signed the $ 1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act on Thursday, ending an early political victory that will send much needed help to millions of Americans still struggling with Pandid-19 pandemic.
“This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country and giving the people of this nation, workers, middle class, people who built the country, a chance to fight,” said Biden before signing the project, the day before expected.
The bill was approved by the Chamber on Wednesday, with a vote of 220 to 211, with a Democrat joining all Republicans in the vote against. It passed the Senate on Saturday with 50 to 49 votes, also on party lines.
Mr. Biden signed the bill hours before delivering his first national address in prime time to mark the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has since claimed more than 529,000 American lives. The White House said President and Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Atlanta next Friday, part of what the White House is calling the “Help is Here” tour to publicize the new city relief bill over the next few years. around the country.
New poll from CBS News shows that the project is widely popular with the public, with three out of four Americans approving its approval. Two-thirds of Americans also say that Biden is doing a good job of treating the pandemic.
The American Rescue Plan offers $ 1,400 in direct payments to individuals who make up to $ 75,000 annually, $ 350 billion in aid to state and local governments and $ 14 billion for vaccine distribution. The project also provides $ 130 billion to elementary, middle and high schools to help reopen safely.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the first wave of direct deposit checks would start hitting Americans’ bank accounts as early as this weekend.
It includes an additional $ 300 billion in weekly unemployment benefits through September and an expanded tax credit of up to $ 3,600 per child, initially distributed in monthly installments. The tax credit for children can lift 4 million children out of poverty, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
More than $ 50 billion will be distributed to small businesses, including $ 7 billion for the Payment Check Protection Program. The account also provides $ 25 billion for relief to small and medium-sized restaurants, which suffered significantly during the pandemic.
The measure expands eligibility for health insurance subsidies for people of all incomes under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a provision that was particularly controversial for Republicans who oppose the bill. It also encourages states to expand Medicaid under the ACA, making the federal government pay for new beneficiaries. Several million people could save hundreds of dollars in health care costs once the bill became law.